A ZADR Easter
by Strawhat Dragon
Summary: Dib comes to Zim's house to help paint eggs. How will Zim handle this new tradition?


_Okay, anyone who was reading my other story, Doubt No Loyalty, I am so sorry I haven't updated in forever. I've been busy and just haven't been able to write the next chapter. It'll be here soon, though._

_This was for Digi, who has been sick lately. I hope it makes her feel a bit better. I own neither Dib nor Zim, they belong to JV. The green egg is mine, though._

xxx

It was a quiet little day on a quiet little planet in a quiet little galaxy. And on this quiet little day on this quiet little planet in this quiet little galaxy, there was a quiet little street. Lined along this street were brightly colored tulips of all shades of colors. Little ceramic birds and rabbits were scattered across all lawns, many carrying eggs or baskets. All had an insanely happy look that no creature should possess.

This was not any quiet little day filled with happy birds and rabbits; this was Easter Sunday. Children could be seen tearing the lawns to shreds, searching for those precious, precious eggs. We bring out attention to one house, a peculiar one at that. It was tall and green, with many little gnomes in the yard; all of which had two slanted bunny ears protruding from their hats. A flag waved in the sweet breeze, showing the words in big bold letters: "I HEART EARTH."

A squirrel suddenly tore through the yard, a plain white egg tucked between its buckteeth. A short green dog soon followed, howling incoherent sounds as it chased the small creature. The furry rat dashed up a-

"OH MY TALLEST, IT _BURNS_!"

Zim yelled from within his house, flailing his arm as it sizzled, avoiding the puddle of acidic water in front of him. His bright red eyes screwed up as his face twisted with pain.

"Geez, Zim! I leave for ten minutes and you spill water. Can you seriously get any dumber?" Dib questioned as he shut the door, a carton of eggs nestled in his arms, steam rising from them from their earlier hot water bath. He walked over into the kitchen to see Zim still flailing his arm, trying to shake off the burning liquid. Dib only shook his head and carefully stepped over the puddle to set the eggs upon the table. He then turned to Zim and held out his hand. "Come here, let me see what you've done."

Zim stopped and pulled his hand close to his chest, looking at Dib as if the human had insulted him. With his antenna pulled tight against his head, and sulkily slid towards Dib and stuck out his hand. "I don't see why we have to paint these egg-things that come from chicken butts. How do you earth monkeys get so much amusement out of it?" He asked, hissing as Dib took his hand and dabbed at it with a towel, drying it.

"I don't know; it's something that Dad made Gaz and I do every year when we were younger, and it sort of stuck. Despite her usually stuffing the eggs in my mouth and dumping the paint on my head." Dib answered before letting go of Zim's hand. He bent down and picked up the pot that had contained water mere minutes ago. He moved over to the sink and twisted the knob, receiving water from the faucet.

"The Dib-beast doesn't even know his own pathetic race's traditions. How _sad_." Zim drawled, snatching back his hand and eyeing the water that poured from the sink. He scuttled over to where the eggs where, poking at them with his good hand. "So why must Zim decorate these egg-zuh? Why must Zim join in your stupid huumun traditions? Are you going to force the Almighty Zim to participate?" Zim challenged, standing as straight as he could, trying to gain some dominance. Sadly, Zim was still at least a head shorter than Dib, not counting the infamous scythe lock. Dib simply sighed and placed the water-filled pot upon the table.

Dib turned the fuming Irken around and pushed him towards the table. "Yes, I'm forcing you, now sit down so I can get the paint and dye from my bag. You just sit there and look pretty." Dib chuckled, disappearing back into the odd house's living room to retrieve his bag. When he returned, he was not surprised to see those shining eyes narrowed in a beady glare.

"You can not force Zim to do anything he does not want to do!" Zim shouted pointing a clawed finger at Dib. He looked down at the table quickly and would look up. "Zim is always pretty, anyway."

"Of course you are, Zim. Zim is very pretty. The prettiest in the world." Dib snorted, trying to hold in his laughter as he began adding the dye tablets to the water. He took out a small stick and stirred the water, speeding up the color change. Dib turned away to dig the other supplies out of his bag.

Zim scowled at Dib for laughing before eyeing the colored water warily. "And what are we doing with that vile acid? I am not putting it anywhere on myself." Zim said stubbornly, but looked confused when Dib laughed.

"You don't put it on yourself, you put the eggs in it, see?" Dib demonstrated by picking up on of the still-warm eggs and pulling out a wire, twisting it until it had a loop on the end. He placed the egg inside the loop and gently lowered the egg into the water, carefully rolling the egg out of the loop and pulling the wire from the water. Zim's buggy eyes grew wide as he stared at the egg, small bubbles riding from it as it settled at the bottom.

"Fascinating! And why do you perform this peculiar ritual? Is it to bring about the spirits of other Easter eggs?" Zim asked as he watched the egg.

"No, I don't think Easter eggs have spirits. It's to change the color of the egg so when we decorated them, they'll be much more colorful. See how I put it in the green dye? When I pull the egg out, it'll be green. Then we use these paints to add more things to them." Dib answered, holding up a paintbrush and a small bottle of paint.

"You lie!" Zim gasped, his awe-filled gaze never once leaving the egg. "Mere water could never change the color of these egg-zuh! You must be lying, or are you performing your planet's 'Maaagic'?"

"No magic, Zim. Here, you pull the egg out." Dib said, grabbing Zim's hand and placing the wire scoop between his fingers. He guided Zim's hand over to the water. "Now see, all you do is get the loop under the egg, but don't push down on the egg, you might crack it." Dib instructed, helping Zim get the wire beneath the egg and lifting it out. Zim sucked in a breath as he saw the neon-green egg, his antenna so stiff it must have hurt. His eyes followed it as Dib took the scoop and placed the egg inside of the carton to dry.

Zim stuck his hand out possessively at the egg, wiggling his fingers and mumbling "Gimmie" over and over, his antenna still standing stiffly upon his head.

Dib noticed this and stuck his hand out, stroking along the antenna. As he thought about it, he must have been mad to do such a thing; but the antenna were so smooth; he just wanted to keep petting them. "Hey man, chill out. It's just an egg, you'll get it when it dries."

Zim felt the hand touching his sensitive antenna, and his first instinct was to claw at the hand. Instead, his body went languid in the chair, a soothing purr rumbling deep in his chest. "Yiss…my egg. No…touch…Hrrrm…good…" He mumbled incoherently. He looked up at the one petting his antenna and immediately saw something he wanted.

He reached towards Dib's head with greedy fingers, grasping the scythe lock and tugging on it so he could have better access. Dib refused and tugged his hair away from Zim's hand, smiling at the Irken as he pulled his hand away from Zim's head and instead placed it on Zim's hand, placing a kiss on the knuckle of Zim's silky black gloves.

"I think the Easter Platypus can wait on his eggs."


End file.
